Kiss Me Goodbye
by sugarplumdreams
Summary: A/N: Emma visits Hook before leaving with Gold for Manhattan. Written for Captain Swan Saturdays: Week 5: Hospital!Hook


"We had to sedate him," the nurse said.

Emma blinked in confusion. "I'm sorry, come again?"

"The staff was…concerned-"

"About _what_?" she demanded, suddenly turning away from the other woman and stalking down the hallway.

The nurse hurried after her. "He was severely agitated earlier-"

"He's got broken ribs and is handcuffed to the bed," Emma snapped, stopping just outside of the threshold of his room and whirling on her. "Who exactly did you think he was going to hurt?"

"Look Sheriff, my first priority is the safety of my staff-"

"He was hit by a car." Emma cut her off exasperatedly. "He's not a threat."

"He's Captain Hook," she argued.

Emma's brow quirked and her eyes narrowed on the nurse's face. "Which means absolutely nothing if he can't even sit up without passing out from the pain- you know what?" She took a breath to calm herself. "I don't want to argue with you about this, I don't have the time. Can I just see him?"

The nurse frowned but gestured for her to step inside. "You have half an hour until the shift change. The call button is on the wall over the bed if you need someone."

Her eyes rolled at that, then the door shut quietly behind her and Emma once again found herself alone with the pirate. Her stomach clenched at the sight of him, her breath catching quietly. He looked worse than he had since she last saw him, bruises that had not been there the day before, dark against the paleness of his skin. She stood rooted in her spot, sheer stubbornness preventing her from moving closer.

She told herself she had no idea why she had come. She and Henry were leaving with Gold within the hour and she had a million other things to do before then, there was no reason for her to see him before she left.

_Every minute I'm here, is a minute closer to me killing Hook._

She exhaled deeply, Gold's voice echoing in her mind, and felt her body move protectively towards Hook. She jerked back, cursing in her head. The pull to him was overwhelming.

"Like what you see, love?"

His voice interrupting the quiet startled her but she found herself moving to stand beside his bed. She brushed off his flirtatious advance, as she so often did, like a champ. That was easy, for the most part anyway, but what wasn't easy was seeing him like _this. _

Broken, battered, vulnerable Hook was more dangerous than charming Hook in Emma's mind. Vulnerable Hook tugged at her heart, made her want to let him in, and she didn't know if she was ready for that, or even if she _wanted_ that.

She unconsciously crossed her arms over her chest as she approached him, a minor form of protection that helped ease her mind.

His eyes were closed and his face was the most serene she'd ever seen it, a cause of the sedation no doubt. She sighed again, still curiously displeased that the hospital had resorted to such measures when clearly, the man was harmless. In truth, if you asked Emma, she'd tell you with much amusement that he was a piss-poor villain.

She pressed her lips together in thought, resisting the urge to reach out and brush back the hair falling over his brow. She could admit to herself that she liked his unruly hair. It suited him in an endearing way, made him seem youthful and carefree instead of troubled and centuries old.

For a split second, her mind conjured up an image of a _much_ younger Captain Hook. Adventurous, jovial, mischievous. King of seas. Handsome as ever. She had a feeling he'd been trouble even then and it made the corners of her mouth twitch into a smile.

"Staring is quite rude, you know," he told her, his voice low and sultry, a smirk on his lips.

He had been still for so long she had begun to wonder if he'd fallen back asleep. "You like people staring at you, it makes you feel pretty," she retorted.

"I am pretty."

His eyes opened then, vividly blue in the light of room, and Emma carefully neutralized her expression, swallowing the lump in her throat. _Damn pirate._

"And if you'd come to terms with that, we could move on to the more…_interesting_ portion of this relationship." His brows wiggled suggestively.

"We are not in a relationship."

"Oh, bollocks," he scoffed, but there was no frustration on his face, just that infuriating smirk. "You're my bean."

Emma's burst of laughter was unexpected. Of all the things she'd been expecting out his mouth, _that_ had not been one of them. "I'm your _what_?" she laughed again, expression twisting in confusion.

He smiled charmingly, head tilting to the side as he studied her. "My bean," he murmured. "My pretty bean, magical and full of hope. Have you forgotten already? We discussed this back in Fairytale Land."

Emma's eyes widened, her hand covering her mouth to stifle her continued laughter. _His break-up monologue._ "Oh, I remember, but I recall your tone having a bit more vehemence behind it."

"Nonsense. 'Twas merely an act."

"Right." Her eyes narrowed in amusement as she shook her head. "Oh man, those pain meds must be good huh?" But there was an odd sensation settling in her stomach and warmth squeezing at her heart.

Hook contemplated her. "If you're referring to the medication the doctor administered to control my behavior…yep. _So good._"

She shook her head again then simply gave up and sat on the bed next to his hip, facing him companionably. "What did you do?"

He moved his handcuffed arm, hand reaching towards hers, then sighed when the restraint stopped him just inches from her fingers. "It wasn't my fault."

Emma ignored the tingling sensation that shot down her arm, and kept her eyes from his hand. "Alright, what did _they_ do?"

Hook pouted, eyes shifting to the ceiling as he went deep into thought. The desire to run the back of her fingers over his scruffy jaw made Emma move her hands into her lap.

"Stop doing that," he mumbled, eyes still fixated upwards.

"Doing what?"

"You know what." His blue eyes dropped to hers, challenging her to deny that she was pulling away from him again. "The fact that I'm drugged doesn't make you less of an open book, lass."

Her brow rose defensively against his words. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"What does it matter if you admit you like me? I'm so drunk off the medication I'll not remember a single thing of this conversation anyway."

She gave him a look that said she highly doubted that and was rewarded with an agreeing wiggle of his eyebrows.

"Can we please focus for two seconds?" she laughed despite herself.

Hook's face scrunched, appalled at the memory as it reentered his mind. "Who the devil in this world decided it would be a brilliant idea to pass off a wiggling, gelatinous substance for food?"

"_What?_" The whole thing was starting to verge on the absurd and Emma couldn't help but laugh again. "Are you…are you talking about Jell-o?"

"'Tis witchcraft is what that is!" he practically shouted, suddenly agitated. "I'll not have that anywhere near me, Swan, and you're bloody off your rocker if you think I'll just lie here and allow that sort of foulness into the very core of my being!"

She couldn't do it anymore. She couldn't. Emma doubled over in laughter and chortled until she was red in the face and her sides ached.

"I'm sorry," she said, trying to catch her breath as she wiped the tears from her face. "This is about Jell-o? They sedated you because of Jell-o?"

"How lovely to see you laugh at the expense of my pain, Swan," he said, voice dripping with sarcasm. "I'd never have figured you for the sadistic type."

She fought to calm the last bits of her laughter. "Captain Hook: bested by Jell-o."

He gave her a bland stare when she snorted again.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she rubbed her hands over her face, forced herself to breathe. "Honestly, I'm not a fan of Jell-o much either."

A few moments later, Emma looked at him with her grin was still in place. His mood had shifted again, she knew it in the way he was studying her with a curious expression. The smile faded and she felt her back go up instinctively.

"What?" she asked hesitantly.

Hook simply moved his head back and forth. "It's hard to be upset with you when you smile."

She sighed then, averting her gaze. "Hook-"

"_Emma_," he cut her off, chuckling when she frowned at him. "Now tell me darling, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit? Are you here to give me a sponge bath?"

His brows wiggled at her again and she shook her head at him. "You're impossible."

"Nay lass, 'tis you who's impossible," he mumbled.

His tone was light, but she sensed there was more he wanted to say. He smiled instead and the butterflies in her stomach danced about wildly.

"What are you doing here, Emma, if not to torture a broken-ribbed man with your sunshine bright smiles and too-blue eyes?"

"I-" She stared at him, at his probing eyes and the knowing look on his face, and she gave in. "I don't know," she told him, rising because she was restless and she needed to move. "I don't know."

"Emma," he breathed, after several moments of silence between them. "Emma, come here."

She exhaled a shaky breath and reluctantly moved to stand beside him. "What?"

"What is it _really_, darling?"

She shook her head, not wanting to tell him. He saw too much, far too much, and it unnerved her. "It's nothing," she lied, realizing that it was in fact, _everything_.

She didn't want to leave. She didn't want to leave her parents, her friends, the town…_him_. She had no choice though; she had to protect what was hers.

"Liar," he told her softly.

Emma rolled her eyes, _perceptive bastard_, but the longer he stared at her like that, the more her resolve crumbled. "I'm leaving," she said finally.

He paused, a frown wrinkling his brow. "What do you mean?"

"It doesn't matter."

She was close enough for his fingers to wrap around her wrist. "Where are you going?"

"There's just something I have to take care of." She shifted from foot to foot, like a skittish mare getting ready to run.

"Ah, I see." Hook tugged on her hand, drew her closer. "Did you come to kiss me goodbye then?"

She let him pull her in, she couldn't stop it. "No."

"I'm not going to remember though." His smile was seductive, his eyes intense as his thumb stroked over the inside of her wrist and made her pulse jump. "Last chance to take advantage of me before the drugs wear off," he yawned suddenly.

Emma's brow arched in amusement. "No offense, but you don't seem particularly up for it."

"Oh, believe me love, I'm up," he implied, but the sleepy expression in his eyes said otherwise.

"The meds are hard to fight off," she said as an afterthought.

"I've been bloody in and out all morning," he agreed, blinking as if to bring her back into focus. "I don't want to rush you, love, but if you mean to kiss me, you'd best be quick about it before I'm too overcome to kiss you back."

Emma chuckled softly._ Damn pirate._ "I have to go." Her voice was quiet.

His breathing was evening out, his eyelids growing heavy. "Kiss me goodbye, Emma."

"No." She shook her head.

"Very well, if you won't kiss me goodbye, just kiss me."

She had to give him points for creativity. "Not today."

He managed to roll his eyes. "Stubborn lass, when you get back then."

"I don't think so."

"One of these days, you'll give me what I want," he said between another yawn. "Shit, I can't stay awake."

She reached over, adjusted the blankets around him. "Stay out of trouble while I'm gone."

"Be careful," he countered.

"Always."

"I'm not done with you, Emma."

His eyes held hers steadily one final time and a lump of emotion lodged itself into her throat. "I'm counting on it."

"My bean…" he murmured, and then his eyes closed and he went under.

She'd told herself she had no idea why she had come, that she wasn't sure if she was ready to let him in, or if she even wanted to. Yet, as she looked at him, handsome man with his bruised face, his brows furrowed in frustration from unwanted fatigue, his fingers warm against her skin, Emma knew she'd been lying to herself. She cared about him, her stubborn, broken, infuriating pirate.

She gave in, finally, to the urge to brush back the hair from his forehead, to stroke his scruffy jaw. "I'm not done with you either, Killian," she told him. "You might be drugged, but damned if you don't remember this later."

With that she leaned down to brush her mouth lightly over his. As she turned to walk away, she didn't notice that he had sighed contentedly, or that his lips curved up in a soft smile.


End file.
